Akron vs Ohio State Odds, Lines, and Spread (Nov. 9)
- The Ohio State Buckeyes are 16.5-point home favorites over the Akron Zips in an NCAA men’s basketball game slated for Tuesday, November 9
- It’s the season opener for both schools
- Ohio State has won seven of eight previous meetings with Akron
As they face the Ohio State Buckeyes, certainly the underdog Akron Zips will be well-versed in the recent fate of their highly-ranked opponent. The last time the Ohio State Buckeyes were seen on the basketball court, they were the victims of a stunning upset.
The second-seeded Buckeyes were shocked by #15 Oral Roberts in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Talk about your March Madness.
The season opener for both teams, Tuesday’s game at Value City Arena will tip at 6:00 pm ET. ESPN will be carrying the broadcast. Oddsmakers don’t foresee another giant-killing in the offing. The Buckeyes are solid 16.5-point home favorites.
Zips vs Buckeyes Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Zips | +1200 | +16.5 (-118) | O 144.5 (-108) |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +260 | -16.5 (-104) | U 144.5 (-112) |
Odds as of November 8th at FanDuel.
Buckeyes Loaded For Big Year
Set at #17 in the preseason NCAA rankings, Ohio State has won 24 of its last 30 home games. Even though they lost two starters, the Buckeyes roster is still deep in experience. They count 946 NCAA games played among their 15-player squad. Seven players are at least fifth-year seniors and two are in their sixth season of competition.
Junior forward EJ Liddell is the first All-Big Ten First Team player to return to play for Ohio State since Aaron Croft in 2013-14. Liddell averaged 16.2 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds last season. He shot 51.8% (131 for 253) from two and 33.8% (27 for 80) from three-point range.
One more sleep 😌🏀#Team123 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/eRgoVAV4OL
— Ohio State Hoops 🌰 (@OhioStateHoops) November 8, 2021
Guard Cedric Russell is one of those fifth-year seniors. He averaged 14.7 points per game last season for Louisiana. Guard Jimmy Sotos led the Patriot League with 189 assists while at Bucknell.
Among newcomers, guard Malakhi Brown was Ohio’s Mr Basketball last season as a high-school senior.
Zips Play With Zip
Akron ended the 2020-21 campaign with a 15-8 slate. The Zips were bounced 81-74 by Buffalo in the MAC Tournament semifinals.
Akron is a team that likes to push the tempo. The Zips are capable of going on runs and scoring in bunches. They were 12th in the nation in 3-point field goals attempted per game (28) and 22nd in threes made per game (nine). This could make for an interesting contest. One of the causes of Ohio State’s demise against Oral Roberts was poor perimeter defense.
Akron’s backcourt of Loren Cristian Jackson and Bryan Trimble Jr are deadly from long range. Trimble shot 39.8% from beyond the arc. That was better than his overall field-goal percentage of 39.5. Jackson hit at 33.1% from long range.
Last season, Akron averaged 76.6 points per game. That rated 42nd in the nation. Leading scorer Cristian Jackson poured in 22.3 points per game. The Zips were also 32nd in the NCAA with 38.4 rebounds per game.
Akron Providing Stern Test For Ohio State
On the gridiron in September, Ohio State whipped Akron 59-7. This one figures to end in a much closer outcome.
Most schools like to get started by scheduling a few cupcakes to devour during these early-season matchups. However, the Zips don’t figure to be pushovers.
Ohio State is holding a 7-1 record in previous matchups against Akron. The lone win in the series by the Zips came in 1913. In recent action, the Buckeyes won a pair of regular-season meetings. They also bettered the Zips in opening-round NIT matchups in 1989 and 2016.
Final preparations. See you tomorrow at 6pm 😈#Team123 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/EmGmXrNnqi
— Ohio State Hoops 🌰 (@OhioStateHoops) November 8, 2021
That March 15, 2016 game, a 73-62 Buckeyes victory, is the most-recent meeting between the two schools. Ohio State has won that recent quartet of games by an average margin of 13.5 points.
If the Zips can kick their long-range game into gear, this could be an interesting night for the Buckeyes. Will they be inspired by a hometown crowd, or will they be overcome by opening-night jitters?
Take the underdog Zips and the points.
Best Bet: Akron Zips +16.5 (-118)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
